Phobia of dating

SAD is sometimes referred to as an illness of lost opportunities where "individuals make major life choices to accommodate their illness".

According to ICD-10 guidelines, the main diagnostic criteria of social phobia are fear of being the focus of attention, or fear of behaving in a way that will be embarrassing or humiliating, avoidance and anxiety symptoms.

Many times, prior to the potentially anxiety-provoking social situation, sufferers may deliberately review what could go wrong and how to deal with each unexpected case.

After the event, they may have the perception that they performed unsatisfactorily.

Some gynophobics tend to put off marriage on account of such a fear.

A related phobia is Venustaphobia or caligynephobia which is the fear of beautiful women.

Often, a child on the verge of puberty might have been sexually abused by a violent woman, leading to a cycle of hatred towards all women for life.

Usually men suffer from this phobia, which is also known by names like Gynephobia or Feminophobia.During the presentation, the person may stutter a word, upon which he or she may worry that other people significantly noticed and think that their perceptions of him or her as a presenter have been tarnished.This cognitive thought propels further anxiety which compounds with further stuttering, sweating, and, potentially, a panic attack.They may feel overly self-conscious, pay high self-attention after the activity, or have high performance standards for themselves.

According to the social psychology theory of self-presentation, a sufferer attempts to create a well-mannered impression towards others but believes he or she is unable to do so.These fears can be triggered by perceived or actual scrutiny from others.